JobsAdvocate Health

Respiratory Therapist (RT) - Adults

Advocate Health · Oak Lawn, IL

Posted Sep 10, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Tell me about a time a patient's condition suddenly got worse on your shift. What did you notice first and what did you do?

recognition of early deterioration and composure under pressure in real-time critical care

Tell me about a time you caught a near miss or safety issue before it reached the patient. What did you do about it and who did you tell?

genuine commitment to reporting culture, not just lip service to safety language

Tell me about a time you had to hand off a complicated patient to the next shift. What made that handoff go well or badly?

discipline around clear, accurate communication during transitions of care

Have you precepted a new therapist or student before? What's your approach when they're about to make a mistake during a procedure?

teaching ability and comfort taking responsibility for others' learning on a night shift with less backup

Tell me about a physical task on this job, like transferring a patient, that pushed your limits. How did you keep yourself and the patient safe?

awareness of body mechanics and honest self-assessment of physical demands described in the job

Technical

Walk me through how you'd assess a patient who's just been intubated and put on a ventilator in the ICU. What data are you pulling together before you make any settings changes?

whether the candidate can integrate blood gases, hemodynamics, and chest imaging into a coherent clinical picture rather than reacting to one number

What's your process when a ventilator starts alarming and you're not sure if it's a patient problem or an equipment problem?

systematic troubleshooting rather than guesswork when patient safety is on the line

What's different about how you'd approach ventilator management for an elderly patient with COPD versus a younger patient with acute respiratory failure?

understanding that age and underlying disease change clinical decision-making, not just textbook protocol knowledge

Situational

Say you're managing a critical vent patient and a nurse pages you about a non-critical treatment on another floor at the same time. How do you decide what happens first?

prioritization skill in an environment with constant interruptions and competing demands

How do you explain a new therapy, like a nebulizer routine or oxygen use at home, to a patient who seems anxious or confused about their diagnosis?

ability to translate clinical information into plain language patients can actually use

You disagree with a physician's order on a respiratory protocol because your assessment doesn't match what they've prescribed. What do you do?

clinical judgment and how the person handles conflict with authority without compromising patient care

You're an hour into a 12-hour night shift and get three admissions needing respiratory assessment at once. How do you manage your time and your team?

organizational skill and self-management specific to the demands of overnight staffing

What do you do when equipment you need, like a specific vent or diagnostic tool, isn't available or isn't working right when a patient needs it now?

resourcefulness and calm problem-solving when the ideal tool isn't at hand

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Advocate Health.

Department: Status: Full time Benefits Eligible: Yes Hou rs Per Week: 36 Schedule Details/Additional Information: (3) 12 hour shifts Pay Range: $35.50 - $53.25 $12,500 Sign-On Bonus Available Loan Forgiveness & Tuition Reimbursement– Up to 20K each Grow Your Career, Earn More:   Through our Clinical Ladder Program, eligible Respiratory Therapists can advance their careers and earn up to   $6,000 in additional yearly bonus opportunities Location: Advocate Christ Medical Center (Adults) - 4440 W.95th St, Oak Lawn Shift : 3rd - Night Shift (7pm-7am) FTE : 0.9 - 36 hours per week Summary : Responsible for providing and coordinating comprehensive respiratory care. The Respiratory therapist administers respiratory care procedures and modalities in accordance with established standards, policies, and procedures. Using evidence-based practices, clinical decision making, and skilled communication, the therapist compassionately leads efforts to create the safest patient environment and the best patient experience across the continuum. Major Responsibilities: • Uses Respiratory therapy processes to support assessment of patient utilizing a variety of skills such as pulmonary diagnostics, chest radiograph, hemodynamic values, laboratory values, and correlates blood gases and electrolytes. Can identify and address the special needs of patient population specific to department services. • Operates specialized ventilators in critical and non-critical care venues. Assists physician with bedside or other procedures as applicable to facility. • Provides medication treatments and therapies per physician order and/or patient driven respiratory protocols as prescribed. • Cleans, maintains, and ensures proper functionality of equipment. Troubleshoots equipment as necessary and identifies the need for service and/or repair. • Educates and instructs patients in purpose, technique, self-care, goal of therapy, and disease management. • Facilitates clinical problem solving and collaborates with other departments to provide education on managing patients. • Under physician direction, the respiratory therapist must be able to adapt and comply to policies and procedures for a variety of different service areas, perform tasks and/or special duties as required by assignment and maintain performance standards and organizational behaviors. • Demonstrates effective communication, feedback, and conflict resolution skills. Provides clear, concise, timely, and accurate patient handoff. • Promotes a culture of safety by recognizing and applying proper safety measures to prevent patient harm. Reports patient safety events and near misses in a timely manner. Seeks to identify potential safety issues and assists in the implementation of corrective actions. • Teaches, educates, and precepts new teammates, orientees, and students. • Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served. Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs.   Licensure, Registration, and/or Certification Required: • Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP) license issued by the state in which the team member practices. • Active Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential issued by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) within 12 months OR active Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential issued by the NBRC if credential received prior to January 1, 2023. • Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association (AHA). • See Education/Certification Addendum for any additional site-specific requirements.   Education Required: Graduate from an accredited respiratory care program, with a minimum of an associate degree.    Experience Required: No experience required.   Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required: • Effective organizational, interpersonal and problem-solving skills. • Problem solving and decision making for patient care and equipment use. • Proficient computer skills, use of e-mail and electronic medical record systems. • Excellent communication (written and verbal), listening and interpersonal skills. • Demonstrates human relation skills with the ability to develop rapport and maintain positive, professional relationships with a variety of patients, team members, and physicians. Ability to take initiative and work collaboratively with others. • Demonstrates time management skills with an ability to multi-task and prioritize in an environment with frequent interruptions.   Physical Requirements and Working Conditions: • Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job. • Must be able to lift 50 lb object from knee to waist. • Must be able to lift 50 lb from floor to waist height occasionally. • Must be able to lift 40 lb at waist height and carry it across various distances. • Must be able to lift 20 lb from waist to overhead. • Must be able to push/pull while utilizing 30# of force occasionally for long distances. • Must demonstrate stand-pivot transfer from bed to chair. • Must perform sliding transfer of 150 lbs. person on a sheet across 2 feet with a second person. • Must utilize safe body mechanics at all times. This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties. Our Commitment to You: Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including: Compensation • Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training • Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job • Incentive pay for select positions • Opportunity for annual increases based on performance Benefits and more • Paid Time Off programs • Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability • Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses • Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave • Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs • Educational Assistance Program Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview. About Advocate Health  Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.

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